Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Hello everyone! Today I have something extra-special to share with you. I recently was approached by Juny, a super sweet reader who actually owns her own US-based Asian fashion boutique, www.junys.com. We both thought it would be super fun to do a little fashion challenge using a piece from her store, which is just perfect for me because I rarely wear the same outfit twice!

I personally love styling the same thing in many ways so I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to show the versatility of a statement piece like this navy, cap-sleeved Zara cardigan that Juny sent me for the challenge. Sequins are HUGE this season and although it may seem like an intimidating trend for some to wear, it's really not as hard to rock as you might think.

It's so difficult to capture the true beauty of anything that sparkles on camera but I'm not kidding, this thing is really nice. The fabric feels weighty and the front has a few flat metal hooks that invisibly closes the front (not the cheap wire kind).

OUTFIT 1: Party Style

So for my first outfit, I decided to wear the cardigan in the traditional way. I wore a black silk dress by Free People with lacey tights to balance the texture of the top. I also added a black fur neck wrap since it was FREEZING outside and to add another layer of texture. The neutral black really helps the navy sequins to pop!

OUTFIT 2: Work Style

Next, I thought about how you could wear this cardigan at the office. Naturally, this is a fairly loud piece so if you work for a super conservative office this probably won't fly but in a more fashionable office that still requires employees to follow a dress code, this can really bring a dull outfit up a notch! I pinned up all of the hooks and wore the cardi as a vest over a white collared shirt and plaid pencil skirt from Arden B. A black blazer finishes the look. (lol, you can see snow began to fall! >.<)

OUTFIT 3: Street Style

This outfit is something I'd wear on weekends. Fashionable but casual with a street flavor. I like the contrast of something a little dressy with something VERY casual like these black canvas boots. I wore a 3/4 sleeve waffle shirt and deer tee from Forever 21, my faaaaavorite Bullhead Solana acid wash jeans from Pac Sun, vintage necklace, and borrowed the hat from my dear friend Hannah who was my photographer for the day! :D (Thank you Hannah I love you so much!!!)

OUTFIT 4: Casual Jen Style

Lol, I didn't know what to call this outfit but it is casual and quintessentially Jen. Ballerina style maybe. I again wore the sequins as a vest under a grey boyfriend cardigan. The rest of the outfit is pretty simple for me, white tank, Forever 21 necklace, pale blue flounce skirt from Abercrombie a few years back, black leggings, grey legwarmers from Target, and my Stevie's sweater boots. Nobody ever tell me leggings or legwarmers are out of style because I will cry and tell you you are wrong.

An overarching idea for all 4 outfits is balance. There should be visual interest at each level of your body so that the sequin cardigan doesn't overtake the outfit. Remember, you should be wearing it not the other way around. ;)

Did you notice the photo quality getting worse as pics went along? The snow/sleet was doing crazy things to the focus on my camera. XD Omg, it's been soo cold here! Right now it's 9 degrees F! I hate cold weather since I shiver like a chihuahua. I only like the cute sweaters and accessories that you wear when it's like this. Hehe.

In other random news, I finally saw New Moon last night. It was cheesy indeed but very adorable! I enjoyed it much more than the first film. I'm liking the idea of switching directors for each film because it gives the movies more depth as a whole. So glad the wolves were well-done!

Anyway, keep your eyes peeled because Juny is going to be sponsoring a giveaway in my next post. Woohoo for free awesome stuff! Be sure to check out www.junys.com for more cute Asian clothes for a very reasonable price compared to other shops I've seen!

Note: This cardigan was sent to me from Juny as a promotional piece and I was not in any way asked to give a positive or negative review about it. I was not paid in any way and I try to make all my reviews totally honest. :)

Great job in mix n matching the outfits and working with the one piece to create different looks... I'm so bad at mix n matching my outfits ~~~~ booo~~~ And you're not joking... it does look really cold there right now... while it's like super hot in Aus~~~~ haahahaah... just the two extremes I suppose

Wow you make everything look so good! I'm not daring enough to try to pull off the sequined vest.. but I love how you balanced every outfit and toned down the vest for casual wear. I loved New Moon too.. lots of eye candy!

ooh I like the third outfit! but the last one is sweet too! Something I could never pull off XD At first I thought the cardigan is waaay too much, but you did a good job! With work clothes I'm very conservative, but this outfit you put together managed to pass. Somehow LOL but, only, as you said, in not a strict environment.

What a fun piece, love it! I love your 3rd and 4th outfit the best. You're right the last one is totally you!;) btw..offering my first giveaway on my blog, you'll love it! xoxo Joliehttp://senoritafashionista1.blogger.com/

hey! i got your package a while ago. I didn't have the time to tell you haha. I actually went on your blog this morning in the library at school, but I was caught. lol I really like the lace leggings/tights and the last outfit! I wear leggings and legwarmers too.. :D

Your make up is divine, but not sure about your fashion tips, sorry! Try a white/black top with a straight neckline, with the blue zara cardi, with a high-waisted rara skirt, black opaque tights and black pumps.love your blog!

--on another note. i'm going to have a job interview next week.. I was wondering if you could make a tutorial of a make up / hairstyle that would be ideal for a job interview... i know you're super busy but i thought i'd ask just in case you can make one :) i love your blog !!!

daisy: awww, thank you so much. This comment made my night. I really appreciate you feeling that I'm loveable. I just want to love everyone! :D

Adriana: Not sure if I'll be able to make a specific tutorial in time for your interview, but lean toward conservative on all counts. You want to feel like yourself, so don't do anything out of the ordinary with your makeup or hair. Just keep things classy and neutral! Copper shadows look nice, maybe hair half up, and close-toed shoes so you look professional. Good luck! I know it's nerve-wracking but I'm sure you'll do well. ^^

I will cry if someone tell me leggings are out of style too. I rely on them so much on the fall lols. Have yet to try legwarmers. Maybe I should cuz i have impossibly small ankles and i need to balance my legs out HAHA.

I like how you can mix and match so many outfits with just one blue cardigan. The clothes you buy are very versatile. I should really buy more clothes like those sigh~

I don't want Minh to think that I will always have dinner ready when he gets home! I think he's thinks I don't notice but he's training me! I can tell! He gets home and rests on the couch when I get the plates & silverware together. I caught him smirking the other day! lol

You must tell me how you balance the "power" in your happily married relationship!

omg thats great what you did. i've been meaning to do something like this for my blog, but i always feel like i never have enough time to do this. this makes sense though .. i love looking at fashion blogs/challenge.. gives me an idea of what to wear tomorrow haha

I just discovered your blog not too long ago on Youtube and I have to say I am really inspired by all of your makeup tutorials and "style" practices :) I feel a lot more confident learning how to do smokey eyes or experimenting with different colors! :) Keep up the wonderful updates :)